Catherine Sevenau is a writer and storyteller who is out to capture your skittery mind. She's penned three books, compiled numerous collections of family genealogy, and has been a regular columnist in the SUN since 2016. She can be reached at [email protected].
‘The air was icy both inside and out’
Chapter 69: November 1950 • Sonora
Larry’s diary (age 16)
Nov 1 New springs for horn. Got up at 3:30. Cop stopped me in Escalon, front light out.
Nov 2 Played solo for Tuolumne County Education Association, all of the teachers.
Nov 3 Lost 2nd game of season to Manteca 41-0. Band played for Pep rally
Nov 4 Up at 6 for Music Clinic at Stockton, 30 some basses, 600 piece band. I was first row. Back at 2 a.m.
Nov 5 Slept till 10:45, almost missed church. Cleaned room and put on electric blanket
Nov 6 Band practiced marching. Passed out Wildcat #4.
Nov 7 Saw Copper Cannon, led band then march formed a spinning square with arrow.
Nov 8 Saw The Outlaw Jane Russell.
Nov 9 TCO & BC practice. Brass Choir all there but only a few orchestra members.
Nov 10 Band and Brass Choir played for Pep assembly for Oakdale game. Didn’t go to any classes, excused from all.
Nov 11 Oakdale won 27-7, band played for parade and pre-game. Went to bed early at 6, missed dance.
Nov 12 Got up at 7 and went to 8 o’clock mass. Church has 2 new priests.
Nov 13 Got adds for Wildcat #5. Got new black metal stands for band.
Nov 14 Fixed and shined upright bass. Hailed and rained hard. Practice till 5
Nov 15 Saw The Heiress and Golden Twenties. Practiced tuba at school
Nov 16 T.C.O. and B.C. practice. Hagemeyer talked to me about publicity for the band.
Nov 17 FFA-FHA dance. Went stag and danced almost every dance, had good time. Mex. took Carleen
Nov 18 Saw Blues Busters. Creek flooded way up high.
Nov 19 Saw Three Little Words. Another new young Father at 11:00 o’clock mass
Nov 20 1st meeting of Music Club. Passed out Wildcat #5. Went to bank 6th period for Wildcat
Nov 21 Practiced with the high school orch.
Nov 22 Sang in Mixed Chorus. Also played in H.S. Orch 1st time this year for Thanksgiving assembly
Nov 23 Thanksgiving. Kept store open 11 to 7. Cleaned room, washed windows. Great big dinner.
Nov 24 Saw Arabian Nights and Tarzan and Slave Girl. Mom sick. Roof got reshingling
Nov 25 Got a new pair of pajamas at Pennies. Cal-Stanford tie 7-7
Nov 26 Ima came in store and played records. Slow day for business. Steak dinner. Took bath. Straightened music.
Nov 27 Roof all reshingled green
Nov 28 Saw Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion. Very foggy.
Nov 29 Saw Rubinstein concert in Stockton, went backstage after
Nov 30 Found wallet. B.C. and T.C.B. rehearsal, rode home with Mr. Pressey
Nov 1950, Thanksgiving Day • Sonora
After a short spell of being gone again, Mother returned for Thanksgiving. The air was icy both inside and out, and she was not welcomed with open arms. Carleen had taken her position in the hierarchy, and it didn’t sit well. She informed Carleen that as Carleen had taken over and Mom was now a guest in her own house, she could cook the turkey and fixings by herself. It was the first holiday dinner my fifteen-year-old sister prepared, and she was fit to be tied when she realized she’d be cooking the whole thing by herself while Mom sat on the couch, feet curled under her, reading.
To be continued…
Catherine Sevenau is a writer, humorist, and storyteller living in Sonoma, California. The stories in this series are excerpts from her book, Through Any Given Door, a Family Memoir; the full memoir is available as a web series at Sevenau.com. A longtime Broker/Realtor at CENTURY 21 Epic Wine Country, she can be reached at [email protected]
